Electricity for whom?

Editorial in Arthik Abhiyan, 8th January 2011

Kathmandu,Nepal

When we talk about Nepal's water resources, the first thing that comes to mind is electricity. A crucial question we should ask while formulating policy for water is, for whom is the electricity being generated? Though Nepal's water policy should be for the welfare of the country, it looks as though it is made for foreigners.

Nepal's per capita consumption of electricity is 70 units per annum; it is 10,000 units per annum in developed countries. Experts say Nepal would require between 55,000 to 60,000MW if its people consumed as many units as in developed countries. This means if Nepal's economy grows at a rate of 7 to 8 per cent per annum, there is no question of exporting electricity at all. If we think we have enough energy to export it for money, we are just being plain stupid. But the Ministry of Energy has not accepted this truth.

A study conducted by Somnath Poudel shows that Nepal needs at least 10,000MW by 2018 if economic growth is to maintain its momentum. In this context, if we invite foreign investors for hydro projects and export 90 per cent of generated power, how can we meet even domestic demand for energy? We need to generate an additional 1,000MW per year to meet the demand. But existing energy policy has not acknowledged this fact.

Power to the people

Kathmandu,Nepal

As we approach the winter months, both the dwindling supply of water in Nepal´s rivers, and the growing demand for electricity as the days get shorter and colder, has resulted in the inevitable: A new and expanded loadshedding schedule.

Loadshedding- a euphemism for planned power outages- is a pretty simple process: Operators in each of the feeder stations look at their watches and flip a switch at the appointed time to turn off (and on) the power. Without these planned shut-offs, ´the system would collapse´ explains Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) director Sher Singh Bhat, until recently a key player in of the load dispatch office of the NEA´s System Operation Department. If not for loadshedding, he explains, we would have blackouts throughout the country and the electricity system- such as it is- would collapse.

Loadshedding affects every consumer connected to the grid (with the exception of government hospitals, the blood transfusion center, Singha Durbar, the Kathmandu International Airport, and, until 2008, the former Royal Palace.) We´ve had loadshedding in Nepal, on and off, since the late 1970s when demand first began to outstrip supply. It is similar to a game of catch-up, as the NEA’s attempts to develop additional sources of electricity lag behind runaway consumer demand. There have been temporary respites following the construction of new hydro projects, like Khulekani in 1982, and the Kali Gandaki in 2002 when additional capacity actually exceeded demand. But loadshedding has become a fact of life in Nepal over the last few years, and even according to the NEA´s own predictions, it will be with us for at least another few. This winter, the NEA is saying that we’ll experience “at least” 14 hours per day of outages.

Saving the Bagmati

Kathmandu,Nepal

The UN General Assembly adopted a resolution recognizing water as a human right and , the 10th Bagmati River Festival will wrap up with the incongruous sight of a human flotilla on rafts, parading alongside the daily flotilla of garbage. And among the spectators will be those who have made the riverbanks their home and ironically, are among the furthest from realizing their right to clean water and sanitation. Although little has been said publicly, these informal settlers, or squatters as they are called, are surrounded by controversy; situated alongside one of the most powerful cultural and religious symbols of Kathmandu and the darling of environmental donors, the Bagmati River, and on a very precious commodity – vacant land.

The banks of the Bagmati are not prime residential areas – observers say that if not for Kathmandu’s daily pumping of effluent in the form of sewage, industrial and solid waste into the river, there would be barely any water there at all. So great is Kathmandu’s thirst for water, that we have practically drunk the river dry at its source, leaving the riverbed an open sewer.

The woes of the Bagmati are just the visible effects of a water table that is shrinking faster than it can be replenished. The river’s strong stench is the superficial reminder to those living there of the health hazards posed by this cesspool – especially during monsoon. Much of the Bagmati watershed and its tributaries in the Kathmandu valley are an ‘urban commons’ plundered for sand to feed an insatiable construction craze, and an unlicensed dumping ground and shelter for the homeless.

Red alert

Ilam,Nepal

What started as a women's initiative to conserve red pandas in Jamuna VDC of northern Ilam has brought about an impressive transformation. The Choyatar forest has been restored to its past glory and the village economy is thriving because of tourists that have poured in following a rise in the number of these endangered animals.

Unill two years ago, open grazing and caused uncontrolled logging had caused the destruction of the forest, and a subsequent decline in the number of red pandas in the area. But now the villagers are so keen to protect the forest that people are required to take permits from the women's user group committee even to collect fodder.

Thanks to efforts like these, there are now 15 red pandas in the community-managed forest. The IUCN red-listed species, Ailurus fulgens, has proven to be a major tourist attraction. The user group committee charges Nepalis Rs 500 and foreign nationals Rs 1000 to enter the forest for red panda-watching. A 1.7km road has been constructed from Alebhanjhyang to help tourists reach the forest.

Biogas plants - Saving Nature Naturally

A WWF Nepal climate protection project is treading new ground in the Nepalese lowlands. In order to protect local ecosystems, 7,500 small biogas plants are being constructed and installed for farmers and their families, reducing the demand for non-sustainable firewood and diminishing carbon emissions as a consequence of deforestation. One plant can deliver sufficient cooking energy for a family with at least two cows or buffaloes.

Type of energy: Biogas
Project scale: 7500 household biogas units
Project investment: 2.2 million euros
CO2 savings: 30,000 tonnes